On October 3, nightfall, the Asian Games women's soccer semi-final flame rekindled. China women's football team in the half of the disadvantageous situation of trailing four goals, the second half of the tenacity to pull back two goals, but ultimately to 3-4 defeat to the Japanese women's football team, and the final is not related to.
Before the match, the Japanese women's soccer team's brilliant record was already a hot topic of discussion. The domestic media hailed it as the "second" or "third" strongest team in Japanese soccer, but fans watching the match soon realized that no matter how many teams Japan has, conceding four goals at halftime is an unacceptable defeat.
In the second half, the battle changed suddenly. The Japanese women's soccer team instantly fell into a slump after replacing Yuzuko Shioetsu Ayumu and Rei Chiba Seafood. The Chinese women's soccer team adjusted their mentality, and most of the time in the second half, they were only able to keep their opponents close with a one-goal difference. Especially at the end of the game, the Japanese women's soccer team even had to postpone the game, which is extremely rare in the Japanese national team.
When the final whistle blew, the Japanese women's soccer team bowed to the Chinese women's soccer team's head coach, Shui Qingxia, led by head coach Natsuno Renjiu. Natsuno said that the performance of the Chinese women's soccer team in the second half was a lesson for the young Japanese women's soccer team, and the players learned a lot from the game, for which they were deeply grateful.
The team, dubbed the "B-team" by the Japanese media, is not. The team is based on Japan's U20 team, and includes the best players from the WE league. Their average age is just 21, with Makoto Ueno a little older at 27. There are only 7 players over the age of 23 in the 21-man roster.
Despite its youth, this team is not insignificant. Seven players, including Sae Amano, Yuzuki Yamamoto, Aoana Tada and Zhu Yu, played in the 2022 U20 Women's World Cup, helping Japan to a second-place finish. And Reina Chiba, who scored in the first half, was a substitute at the Women's World Cup this summer.
Young players such as Kino Obara and Tazuko Koga have already made a name for themselves amongst women's soccer players of their age in the world, despite being only 17 and 18 years old. Last year, they were in the spotlight for missing out on the U20 Women's World Cup, which was their first time competing as Japanese internationals. Unsurprisingly, these players will be formidable foes for the Chinese women's soccer team in the next decade.
It's worth noting that most of the teams participating in the 2023 Women's World Cup landed in the Euroleague this summer, but the players in the WE League are also not to be underestimated. Shuno Nakajima, who scored in the first half, is the centerpiece of Sanfrecce Hiroshima's midfield; and Meiko Shimada, who was substituted at the last minute, is a key player for Urawa Ruby. Their performances best reflect the overall level of the WE League.
This Japanese women's soccer team is led by U20 coach Rengiu Kano, instead of regular coach Mrs. Ikeda. This is because the team is tasked with stockpiling talent for the 2024 U20 Women's World Cup, and Rengu Kano, who has coached the Japan Women's U16-U19 team, has a thorough understanding of the players.
Many fans may suddenly realize that the Japanese women's soccer team sent the so-called "B-team" to the Asian Games not to win, but to train the team.
In the eyes of the JFA, the Asian Games are not worth giving up their key players such as Hinata Miyazawa and Risa Shimizu. But for them, the Asian Games are an ideal training ground for young players.
During the New Crown epidemic, the JFA arranged for young female soccer players to play against various high school boys' teams; this initiative was continued after the epidemic ended, and overseas training camps were created.
At the same time, the young players of the Japanese women's soccer team were eager to compete at a higher level and in more intense rivalries. Len Kano recalls, "After finishing as runners-up in the U20 Women's World Cup, our U16 and U17 players reached out to me for more opportunities to compete on the international stage. The runner-up performance gave them courage and confidence."
Undoubtedly, the performance of the Japanese women's soccer team in the Asian Games is a visual reflection of the results of their youth training. The key to the success of Japanese soccer is that they have a clear development concept that they can implement throughout the entire process, from the players to the coaching staff to the managers and senior executives.
Japan is a strong soccer team, and they have the confidence to send a "B team" to the Asian Games. What about us?
The Asian Games means a lot to the Sports Authority behind all the athletes. No one dared or allowed the Chinese women's soccer team to act like Japan. Our young players missed such a crucial training opportunity. Even if we could do so, we don't have that much strength close to the Chinese women's soccer players.
After the World Cup, the players had very limited time to rest, and their physical condition surely could not be compared with that of the Japanese women's soccer team. The reason why the Chinese women's soccer team was passive in the first half was actually the result of their accumulation to the limit. Therefore, the score of the first half does not reflect the real level difference between the two teams.
From a match point of view, the Japanese women's soccer team quickly got into the swing of things in the first half, and their lack of experience was the main reason for the sudden change in the second half. If two more years go by and this Japanese women's soccer team is sharpened by the game, the gap between us may become more obvious.
In fact, Riko Ueki, who scored against China at the Asian Cup early last year, has not only become a striker in the WE League, but also landed in Europe after the Women's World Cup of soccer. Although we also have Premier League players like Zhang Linyan, the emergence of a new Riko Ueki in Japan's women's soccer team is most worrisome.
Therefore, do not blame Shui Qingxia, she has tried her best.
Some fans believe that the women's soccer team is still proud of its failure, some fans try to prove that "women's soccer is better than men's soccer", and some fans are convinced that as long as Wang Shuang and Wang Shanshan are in good shape, we still have a chance to do well until the Paris Olympics and the next World Cup.
Optimism and bad moods cannot hide the status quo and the fact that Chinese soccer is stuck in stagnation. I don't know to whom the task of revitalizing Chinese soccer will be given, it will take time, confidence, unity, scientific and rational planning and persistent execution.
Perhaps in a few months, when the tournament comes around again, the shadow of defeat may once again hang over Chinese soccer.
